Women’s Weight Training 101: The Lateral Raise
We’re just moving right along, aren’t we!
It’s already Day 4 of the Weight Training for Women series with Holly Perkins, CSCS and Promax Nutrition Ambassador. You must be looking pretty long, lean and mean right now!
Today’s lesson focuses on the shoulders.
I’ve had a real love/hate relationship with my shoulders for a long time. Mostly hate, until recently.
I’ve got what you would call broad shoulders, or as the boys in middle school would say, the perfect build for the freshman football team. Yeah, that wasn’t an ego crusher or anything at 13-years-old!
For so long, I was afraid to work out my shoulders at all. I thought anything I did would make them bigger and bulkier. But, despite acknowledging that women CAN bulk up, I noticed over the years that the more I trained my shoulders, the more defined they looked. So, instead of broad blobs, I at least had broad toned shoulders.
But with the toning came another unwanted muscle, even more embarrassing than my “freshman football” shoulders: big traps.
You know the Trapezius, it’s that ring around the neck that makes guys look like The Hulk:
Not a sexy look for a woman. But I’m not sure that ↑ is a sexy look on anyone!
Though my traps have never come close to getting that enlarged, I certainly don’t want to do anything that will build them in the slightest.
Which brings me to The Lateral Raise.
The lateral raise is a wonderful exercise for working your deltoids (the muscle on top of your shoulder). But because women aren’t usually strong enough to complete the exercise properly with a straight arm lift, they often end up transferring the weight into their traps, building that hulk-like neck.
The Women’s Modification:
The super simple way to avoid working your traps is to make the exercise easier by “shortening the lever.”
Holly recommends women do a Bent Arm Lateral Raise instead of the full extension. That way you can hadle more weight without deferring to your traps for help.
Perform 4 set of the exercise with 12 reps each, using 5-8 lb weights.
Keep your head up, and arms at a 90 degree angle. Keep your elbow and wrist parallel the entire time and lift your arms just high enough that your shoulder “disappears” when you look to the side in the mirror. As always, make sure to keep your shoulders down and back.
If you haven’t had the chance yet, check out the other articles in this series:
Women’s Weight Training 101: The Leg Press
Women’s Weight Training 101: The Chest Press
Women’s Weight Training 101: The Lateral Pulldown
And be sure to come back tomorrow for the last exercise and A GIVEAWAY!
Happy Friday!
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